Madeline did not answer Shirley. She walked to the closet and took out a clean set of clothes from inside.“I think it must be hard for you to stand the state you’re in right now. You can go and take a shower.”Madeline placed the clothes at the end of the bed gently.“You have a slight fever. Here’s a first aid kit. I think you should know better than anyone what you should take to make your fever go down.”Shirley was puzzled after she heard what Madeline said. She looked at Madeline with suspicion.“Eveline, what are you trying to do? Are you requiting evil with good?”Madeline smiled indifferently. “I’m not that great nor am I sanctimonious. However, we’re on the same boat now. After all, I still have to depend on you to recover, right?”After Madeline said that, Shirley looked at the woman who was smiling slightly and fell into silence.She was locked up here now, so she could not develop the anti-toxoid reagent. Hence, Madeline would never be able to get treated and it wo
While this further increased Shirley’s suspicion, she certainly was hungry.She did not think that Madeline would do anything to the food, so she started eating without worries.When she finished, Madeline had already changed the bedsheets.“You ought to stay here for the time being.” Madeline walked up to Shirley. “I know you like Carter, but that doesn’t mean that you should follow that person blindly.”“Heh. Eveline, are you teaching me how to conduct myself?” Shirley chuckled and asked. “Don’t you recall that you too had done a lot of stupid things for Jeremy back then?”Madeline calmly smiled at that. “Back then, I loved him so much that I had lost myself, but I never did anything that goes against my conscience or harms others, not even for him.”“...”Shirley, silent upon hearing that, momentarily did not know how to refute Madeline.Unconvinced, she bit her lip, and her eyes were hostile and doubtful. “Eveline, what on earth do you and your husband intend to do?”Madel
Shirley had said, “Eveline, let me ask you a question. What’s the most terrifying and mortifying experience that you’re most reluctant to relive in your life?”Madeline knew better than anyone the experience she was most reluctant to recall. It was the time when she had been in so much pain that she had wanted to die. To her, it had been a time of misery. A living hell.Madeline then suddenly realized what might happen when the poison reached the final stage that Shirley mentioned. ‘No.‘Don’t jump to conclusions.’Madeline’s mind wondered, then she gently shook her head, collecting her thoughts.Her heart was racing. Once her breathing difficulties had alleviated, she hailed a car by the roadside, considering returning to the hospital.After getting into the car, however, Madeline’s imagination ran wild against her volition again. Initially, she had been unafraid of the physical pain and torment. She had thought she could endure them because the pain she had experienced prev
Upon hearing Carter’s words, Madeline smiled softly. “Thank you for your compliments, Mr. Carter, but I don’t need them. I don’t need you to think I'm special, and I certainly don’t need your admiration. On the contrary, you repulse me.”Carter’s lips seemingly curled. “Is that so? Is that why you won’t tell me where Shirley is?”“That’s right, I won’t.” Madeline maintained her cool as she looked into Carter’s inscrutable eyes. “However, if you intend to abduct me now to exchange for her, go ahead. I can’t compete with a man’s strength anyway.”Carter had initially considered this. If Madeline would not speak, he would similarly use this method, abducting her so that Jeremy would exchange Shirley for Madeline. However, he had not expected Madeline to have already seen through his thoughts and intentions.Admiration flashed across Carter’s eyes. “Eveline, you’re indeed extraordinary, but I won’t abduct you.”He walked toward the door to the passenger’s seat and said, “Mrs. Whitm
Madeline’s calmness impressed Carter yet again.Perhaps it was this calmness of her that had made him feel that she was special back then.Carter placed the cup in his hands steadily. “I don’t have anything to ask you.”He checked the time on his watch. “Your husband should be here soon.”Just as Carter had spoken, Madeline could hear the familiar car engine sound coming from the outside of the villa entrance.That was Jeremy’s car.Carter glimpsed at the French window through the corner of his eyes. “That was certainly fast. You’re someone he cares about indeed.”“You’re so good at cracking jokes, Mr. Gray. I’m his wife, could he not care about me?” Madeline asked and chuckled lightly. “Some people are quite pitiful, however. They obviously care about someone, yet they don’t know how to care for them. Don’t you think so?”“...”Carter’s smile froze.He could tell what Madeline was sneering at him, he did not know what Madeline had meant exactly.Thud thud thud thud.The fa
“It seems that you’ve forgotten that the poison in your body is not completely cleared as well.”Carter spoke confidently.Jeremy’s expression remained static despite this reminder. “What about it? You seem to be quite confident. Was it just because of this?”“No, I am completely confident.” There was an assured look on Carter’s face. “Jeremy, since you’re here and we’re done talking, let me bring you guys somewhere.”Without speaking, Jeremy and Madeline shared a look.“What is it? Are you guys scared?” Carter asked provocatively. “If you’re scared, you’re free to not follow.”Carter then turned and walked toward the basement.Madeline remembered this place. Carter had hypnotized her here back then. Unbeknownst to Madeline, a completely different world was hidden in the basement.Through the side door, there was a large-scale laboratory.The laboratory was equipped with state-of-the-art instruments.Madeline saw that the test tube racks were neatly arranged with vials of v
Jeremy suddenly relented.Madeline quickly turned, facing Jeremy’s firm expression, though she did not find this unexpected. He relented solely because of the concern he had for her.The corner of Carter’s lips raised at these words. This was the answer he wanted.“Carter, state your terms,” Jeremy requested, not showing much patience for Carter.Carter did not beat around the bush. “Let Shirley go,” he said bluntly.Madeline had thought that Carter’s demand would be something very difficult or unreasonable. However, she had not expected Carter’s only stipulation was Shirley’s release.Jeremy too found this doubtful. If this was the only stipulation, why should he not oblige?After all, his main purpose in kidnapping Shirley was to exchange her for the anti-toxoid test reagent.“I can let her go, but I have to see the anti-toxoid test reagent first. She told me herself that there’s no completed product, so I’d like to verify that you’re telling the truth and that there’s truly
Jeremy gave Madeline a serious look, saying nothing in response.The snow grew heavier over time, gradually piling on the ground.Half an hour later, Jeremy’s car stopped at the villa’s gates once again.When Madeline got out of the car, her eyes were immediately drawn to the two lines of tire tracks that were imprinted on the snow.This villa was detached. Under normal circumstances, no one would be passing by this place, let alone leaving tire tracks at the gates, unless they came here deliberately.“I see. You’ve locked her up here,” Carter said as he got out of the car. “Lead the way.” He seemed impatient, but his expression still looked perfectly calm.Perhaps Jeremy was still worried about Madeline, for he did not notice the tire tracks on the snow.He opened the gates and led the way with Madeline in tow.“Jeremy, something’s off,” Madeline said, expressing her concern.“Off? What do you mean?” Jeremy asked, confused. However, when he was at the entryway opening the doo